


laugh at this clumsy boy who loves you

by jenuyu



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-05-20 12:47:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14894906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenuyu/pseuds/jenuyu
Summary: The I Love You game is simultaneously the best thing and the worst thing that’s ever happened to Jaemin. Jisung is awful at it, practically dying when Renjun tries it on him, and Yukhei is an even easier target, who makes a face like he’s had to drink vinegar before Jaemin’s even said anything. Jaemin feels just a bit bad for him, but the majority’s voted to oust him from the game anyway.





	laugh at this clumsy boy who loves you

**Author's Note:**

> i [have](https://youtu.be/_3_2wjgQTXw?t=51) [no](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6h9uys) [words](https://youtu.be/mHV1BuWSxNA?t=167) ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

The week after Jaemin gets back to the dorm, Jisung leaves to go to the convenience store, dragging Chenle with him and yelling out “I’ll be back!”

Jisung makes a beeline for Jeno as soon as he and Chenle come back, and Jaemin initially thinks nothing of it. Jisung is always bothering Jeno, whether it’s to help him out with learning a new dance or to ask Jeno to tell Jaemin to stop trying to kiss him.

Jeno and Renjun and Jisung come by Jaemin’s room that night to talk as usual, and something smells off, but he still ignores it. Jisung’s probably just overly sweaty from practice today, and he makes a mental note to himself to get Jisung a stick of deodorant. Renjun tells them about his parents’ visit to Seoul and where he’s planning on taking them, and Jeno talks about how Taeyong and Doyoung had started fighting about how much salt to put in the bulgogi for dinner in 127’s dorm, and Jisung complains that Chenle keeps pinching his cheeks and calling him a baby chick, and “it’s going to make my face even bigger than it is now, so someone tell him to stop.”

Eventually, once the candle burns halfway through the wax, they all leave to brush up and head to bed.

Jaemin only realizes that something is horribly, horribly wrong when Jeno walks back into Jaemin’s room that night with his pillow in his arms and the smell of strawberries follows Jeno in. Jeno doesn’t usually buy anything strawberry flavored, so as soon as Jaemin smells it, he sits upright.

“Hi,” Jeno says, crawling into Jaemin’s bed and shoving his pillow next to Jaemin’s before lying down. Jaemin realizes, with some small amount of horror, that the smell of strawberries is only getting closer and closer the more Jeno scoots over on the bed.

“Hey,” Jaemin says, staring at Jeno’s mouth like he usually does, but instead of intent, it’s with concentration, and— there. There it is, a slight sheen on Jeno’s lips, and Jaemin is fairly certain he knows the answer to the question that’s been plaguing him incessantly, but he has to know, has to confirm it for himself.

He leans forward and pecks Jeno quickly on the lips, and when he draws back and licks his own lips, he tastes it. The cursed, cursed taste of artificial strawberry flavoring. Jaemin is going to end Jisung, but before he can start plotting, he rolls over to grab a tissue from the bedside table and rolls back over to dab it at Jeno’s lips.

“What’s wrong?” Jeno asks, confusion evident in his eyes, and Jaemin only squints at him, darting in to give him another quick kiss. It’s gone, and Jaemin sighs, content, before pulling Jeno closer to him.

“Nothing, just go to sleep. Everything’s fine now.”

 

Except everything is not fine, because after Jaemin’s cornered Jisung and convinced him to stop trying to sabotage Mission Tell Jeno How Much I Love Him Every Day, there’s a new contender in town. Jaemin stares up at Mark, his hand tightening on Jeno’s thigh, as Mark reaches forward to touch Jeno’s hair.

“Is this a rock?” Mark wonders, pulling his hand back, and when Jeno laughs, bright and loud, that brings a smile to Jaemin’s face, too.

Jaemin keeps his hands firm on Jeno’s thigh even after Mark sits down next to them and starts chattering away. He likes it like this, likes it when Jeno’s curled around him, his legs over Jaemin’s thigh and his shoulder pressed up against Jaemin’s. Jeno is warm and solid and lets Jaemin tap out the rhythm of Chewing Gum into the inside of his thigh, and even after Mark leaves, it’s too comfortable a position to shift out of.

“Hey, Jeno,” Jaemin says, tapping Jeno’s knee as he shuffles his cards again. He’s been playing with that deck of cards this entire photoshoot, and while he could watch Jeno’s fingers all day, he has other things to get done.

“What?” Jeno’s still distracted, playing with the cards, and Jaemin suppresses a pout. Jaemin had been the one to drag Jeno out to watch Kingsman, but now he regrets it.

“I love you,” Jaemin whispers, and that’s enough to make Jeno drop his cards, and he stares at Jaemin with wide eyes before picking his cards back up to play with them.

“Stop liking me,” Jeno whines instead, fingers fiddling with the cards, but there’s just the smallest hint of a flush rising on his cheeks.

“You liked me first,” Jaemin counters, and it’s true: even though Jaemin had been the first one to kiss Jeno on that summer’s day almost three years ago, Jeno had told him, hushed and quiet, that he’d liked Jaemin ever since he saw Jaemin’s audition video. “You were so cool,” Jeno had giggled, and Jaemin had been struck dumb with how much he felt for Jeno.

“I hate you,” Jeno mumbles, and when Jaemin leans forward to give him a kiss, he doesn’t lean away.

 

 

Mark nearly throws a fit two months later when the video of them on the plane to Los Angeles comes out, and Jaemin kissing Jeno on the cheek hasn’t been edited out.

“I want to die,” Mark moans. “I can’t believe they left it in. Why. _Why_.”

“Maybe they just felt my sincere outpouring of love for Jeno,” Jaemin says, very seriously. “Our love is not a matter to be trifled with.”

Mark only looks out of the window in response. “I wonder,” he says, “if I stare at the sun for long enough, can I erase that image from my brain?”

 

 

The I Love You game is simultaneously the best thing and the worst thing that’s ever happened to Jaemin. Jisung is awful at it, practically dying when Renjun tries it on him, and Yukhei is an even easier target, who makes a face like he’s had to drink vinegar before Jaemin’s even said anything. Jaemin feels just a bit bad for him, but the majority’s voted to oust him from the game anyway.

It’s easy enough to imagine saying it to Ten without grinning too much, but thinking about telling Jeno he loves him only brings a grin to his face. Oh well, it’s okay if he smiles. If Jeno smiles, he’s out. He schools his features into nonchalance, gets ready to affect the sultriest voice he can.

The first time, Jaemin doesn’t even manage to get the words out before Jeno shoots him down with a quick “No,” and Jaemin recoups his losses, turns to face Ten. He’s rejected, once again, and he turns to face Jeno, his game face on.

“I love you,” Jaemin says, reaching forward to stroke Jeno’s hair, and he’s already looked away before Jisung points at Jeno, says, “Wait, he smiled.”

Jeno collapses in laughter, his face crumpling up in the way that Jaemin adores so much, and Jaemin can’t help laughing at him in return. There’s a lot to be said about all the areas they’ve changed and improved in, but this? Everything he loves about Jeno— his smile, his voice, his laughter— it’s still all the same.

**Author's Note:**

> title stolen shamelessly from pablo neruda's [tu risa](http://www.poesi.as/pn520007.htm)!
> 
> i'm crying i love these kids.. so much... jeno out here sinking the ship by rejecting jaemin's crusty ass wyd!!! please ;;__;; also jaemin hates strawberry flavored things but likes strawberries i don't understand him what the heck?? sorry this was short it was like.. 5am when i uploaded it lmao >__<
> 
> anyways.. thanks for reading this lil thing ilu all <3 catch me at [twt](https://twitter.com/gaImaegi) and [cc](https://t.co/P7Rh6Bq9KN) if u wanna talk!!!


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